international food festival – Villa La Estancia Real Estate

Cuisine of the Sun Festival in Los Cabos

Thanks to the success of the wildly popular Cuisine of the Sun International Food and Wine Festival in Riviera Nayarit, The Villa Group and Villa La Estancia have decided to add an exciting second festival in Cabo. Resort guests and Villa La Estancia homeowners are invited to attend this innovative and exciting culinary event. Mark your calendars for April 23th to the 26th, 2019 for this year’s Cuisine of the Sun Food and Wine Festival. The Villa Group is delighted to introduce internationally acclaimed chefs back that will host cooking classes, elegant dinners, and intimate chef interviews around Cabo at our properties including Villa del Palmar, Villa del Arco, and Villa La Estancia Los Cabos. Read more to learn about this year’s Cuisine of the Sun Los Cabos schedule, and the invited celebrity chefs that are ready to wow your tastebuds!

Cuisine of the Sun Invited Chef: Tregaye Fraser

Chef Fraser is a Food Network Star who took home the winning trophy during 12 season. A Le Cordon Bleu culinary school graduate, Fraser specializes in modern twists on old-fashioned favorites. Her unique fusion culinary style and passion for creating innovative dishes has made her a fan favorite at prior Cuisine of the Sun Festivals. Chef Fraser also can be seen as a co-host on Kitchen Sink where her dynamic energy draws viewers in and captivates the audience.

Invited Celebrity Chef: Chris Kyler

Chef Kyler is a Season 10 Food Network Star finalist who is known as one of the most entertaining and charismatic chefs around. Chef Kyler began his culinary career while serving in the US Navy and even served meals to former President of the United States, George W. Bush. Chef Kyler’s upbeat energy, good humored personality, and creative talent can’t be missed at this year’s Cuisine of the Sun Festival in Cabo.

Invited Celebrity Chef: Eddie Jackson

Chef Eddie Jackson is both a Food network Star and a former NFL player. Currently, Chef Jackson is owner of Rosehill beer garden & food truck park and a Fit chef studio. Chef Jackson is motivated to prepare healthy and delicious food that everyone will enjoy. In 2015, Chef Jackson became a Food Network Star when he surpassed 11 of his fellow finalists in the culinary competition. The next year in 2016, Chef Jackson joined Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli and served as a mentor to eliminated Food Network Star hopefuls during a six-week competition known as Star Salvation. These days, Chef Jackson hosts Jackson’s Game-Day Playbook and Eddie Jackson’s Fitness Playbook on FoodNetwork.com. Make sure to say hi to Chef Jackson at Villa La Estancia Los Cabos at this year’s Cuisine of the Sun Festival.

The Cuisine of the Sun Festival in Los Cabos Schedule:

TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2019

5:00 pm – Welcome Cocktail

Introduction to invited celebrity chefs and top Napa Valley winemakers

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24, 2019

12:00 pm – Cooking Classes by the Pool

Enjoy the creations of invited celebrity chefs and learn how to make some of their most famous recipes

6:00 pm – Enjoy a 3-course tasting menu paired with 3 Napa Valley wines

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2019

12:00 pm – Cooking Classes by the Pool

Enjoy the creations of invited celebrity chefs and learn how to make some of their most famous recipes

6:00 pm – Enjoy 4 course menu with celebrity chefs paired with Mexican wines

FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2019

12:00pm – Demonstrations with Celebrity Chefs Tregaye Fraser, Chef Kyler and Eddy Jackson

6:00 pm – Enjoy a 5-course tasting menu paired with 5 napa & Mexican wines

Make sure to get your tickets TODAY for this year’s Cuisine in the Sun International Wine & Food Festival in Los Cabos. Visit our Villa La Estancia Los Cabos website for more information. See you at Villa La Estancia Los Cabos April 23-26th!

by VLEAdminRE, April 14, 2019

Riviera Nayarit

Get to Know the Chefs: 2019’s Cuisine of the Sun Festival

The 4th annual Cuisine of the Sun International Food and Wine Festival is just around the corner on April 23rd to 27th, and this is a not to miss event at the Villa La Estancia in Riviera Nayarit. The Villa Group is pleased to introduce this year’s invited chefs that will be sharing their culinary expertise and delighting event attendees with their mouth watering dishes and charismatic presence. Read below to learn more about the incredible chefs who will be showcased at this year’s 2019 Cuisine of the Sun International Food and Wine Festival.

Festival Curator and Chef Penny Davidi

Since the inaugural event at Villa La Estancia 4 years ago, Celebrity Chef and Sysco Foods Culinary Sales Consultant, Penny Davidi has been the Cuisine of the Sun Festival’s curator. As in previous years, she has once again coordinated and oversaw the event’s scheduling and development. She has been the driving force to invite celebrity chefs and has provided the overall structure for this successful annual event. David is of Iranian-American decent and was raised in California where she began her culinary career. Today, Davidi is a creative and contemporary chef who brings her own creativity and personality to each and every dish. You may have seen her on various cooking shows where she has made appearances including Season 7 of the Food Network Star, Chopped All Stars Season 2, Cutthroat Kitchen, and Kitchen Inferno. In addition, she served as Executive Chef and Menu Curator in 2014 for the hugely successful PUMP Lounge in West Hollywood.

Chef Michelle Ragussis
Chef Michelle Ragussis is a long time favorite at The Cuisine of the Sun International Culinary Festival at Villa La Estancia. This year, we welcome her back and we are excited to see what surprises she plans to bring to the table. Chef Ragussis is best known for her appearances as a finalist on the eighth season of the Food Network series Food Network Star. She has also appeared on NBC Food Fighters, 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, Chopped, and Midnight Feast. She currently works as the Executive chef at Central House at the Crown in Provincetown, Massachusetts and is delighted to bring her culinary expertise to the Cuisine of the Sun Festival this year.

Chef Jamika Pessoa

Chef Jamika Pessoa is well known among celebrities as a nutrition and wellness expert. She is also a TV star who has appeared on TLC’s Home Made Simple, the Today Show, the Rachael Ray Show, and ABC’s The Chew. Her Caribbean and Southern inspired creations have impressed her clients and her charismatic personality lights up the room. Today, Chef Pessoa is a well respected business owner in addition to a world class chef and she will certainly impress guests who attend this year’s Cuisine of the Sun Festival.

Chef Plum

Chef Plum is the newest celebrity chef to join the lineup at the Cuisine of the Sun International Food & Wine Festival at Villa La Estancia this year. He has also made several appearances on the Food Network where he was featured in cooking shows including Random Acts of Cooking on OnlyGoodTV, Restaurant Road Trip on ABC, and On the Road with Edible Magazine. Chef Plum’s also operates a live podcast called “Plumluvfoods” that has a large fan base. Chef Plum brings extensive experience and passion for cooking and is destined to be a welcome addition to the celebrity chef team as this year’s festival.

Chef Katsuji Tanabe

Chef Katsuji Tanabe is of Top Chef Boston and Top Chef Mexico fame and is guaranteed to heat up the kitchen at this year’s Cuisine of the Sun International Culinary Festival. Chef Tanabe has worked in many well known restaurants including the four-star Bastide Restaurant and Beverly Hills’ Mastro’s Steakhouse. Currently, Tanabe is the owner of MexiKosher Restaurant which is the first authentic Kosher Mexican restaurant in the United States. In addition to his passion for cooking, he also gives back to his community working as a personal mentor doing volunteer work with a focus on healthy eating and cooking methods.

Chef David Fuerte

Our last celebrity chef is David Fuerte who serves as the CEO and Co-Founder of Made for Chefs, Artisan Street Kitchen Catering and Artisan Chef Creations. Based out of Whittier, Los Angeles, CA, Chef Fuerte’s products can be shipped anywhere in the world making it an internationally powerful brand. His inspiration for his business was to centralize the food industry and bring together chef tools and products into one centralized company. With an emphasis on functionality and streamlined chef approved products, Chef Fuerte offers a modern and intelligent way to help you be the best chef you can.

This year’s Cuisine of the Sun International Food and Wine Festival at Villa La Estancia is guaranteed to be the best yet. Make sure to purchase your tickets soon as space is limited and you don’t want to miss out. Mark your calendars now for April 23-27, 2019. See you at Villa La Estancia in Riviera Nayarit!

Check out the 2019 Cuisine of the Sun Festival Schedule

by VLEAdminRE, April 9, 2019

Destinations, Real Estate, Residences, Riviera Nayarit

International Food and Wine Festival in Riviera Nayarit

Residents and hotel guests at Villa La Estancia in Riviera Nayarit will be in for a treat this spring as top chefs from around the world join the hotel for an exclusive International Food and Wine Festival – Cuisine of the Sun from April 13th – 17th, 2016. Coordinated by Penny David who is the Food Network’s celebrity chef and USFOODS culinary specialist, the gastro event of the year at Villa La Estancia, Riviera Nayarit is set to get the taste buds tingling with cooking classes, special dinners, wine tasting and the finest culinary experiences for all those who join in.

“April is going to be quite a month” shares Olivier Pierre, General Manager of Villa la Estancia, “We’ll have cooking demos, brunch, wine tasting and great mixology demos put on by some of the best professionals in the industry.”

The International Food and Wine Festival will also feature various beach activities, from fine dining to barbecues by the sea, all while sipping the best concoctions made from the finest tequila and liquor from Mexico and around the world. A number of renowned chefs will be joining the culinary festival to showcase a range of different styles and flavors. “That is what cuisine is all about,” says Olivier Pierre, “expanding your knowledge, experiencing new flavors and trends and, of course, enjoying a tasty meal in the company of those you hold in the highest esteem.”

Besides celebrity chefs such as Michele Ragussis, Adam Gertler, Pat Neely and Manouschka Guerrier, the Food and Wine Festival at Villa La Estancia Riviera Nayarit will be welcoming stars of the screen and musicians. The first celebrity to have confirmed is TV and movie actor, Dennis Haysbert, who has appeared in films such as Kung Fu Panda, Ted 2, Sin City and Mr. Peabody.

Villa La Estancia, Riviera Nayarit will be hosting this mouthwatering event from April 13th until April 17th, 2016 and invites all guests and residents to make reservations for the specific events or their choice or purchase a special all inclusive festival package. To see the schedule and prices of each event, click here .

by VLEAdminRE, March 31, 2016